The trial of the man accused of kidnapping and imprisoning Shannon Matthews was halted yesterday after it emerged that he had undergone an emergency operation on a fractured jaw.

Michael Donovan required surgery after being beaten up in prison 11 days ago, shortly after the start of his trial at Leeds Crown Court.

The jury was sent home this morning after the judge told them that Mr Donovan, 40, was “in a rather bad way".

He was punched twice in the face by another prisoner at Armley jail, in Leeds, on the evening of November 13.

The assault followed a series of incidents at the prison during which, the court has heard, he had been verbally threatened and had his prison identity card stolen “in mysterious circumstances".

Mr Donovan was given special food and painkillers and subsequently ruled fit to sit in the dock alongside his co-accused, Shannon's mother, Karen Matthews. However, Mr Justice McCombe told the jury, the situation changed on Friday evening.

"You will note that there is one person missing from the dock. We all know what happened to Mr Donovan about a week or so ago. Just before the weekend started, we heard that medical opinion was that he needed immediate surgery. That was done on Saturday morning," he said.

"Although he seemed to be in good form yesterday, the anaesthetic has worn off and he is in rather a bad way. It would seem quite impossible for him to sit today. We're in the hands of the doctors, I'm afraid."

The jury has been told that the court was awaiting a further prognosis on Mr Donovan's condition and they would be informed when the trial was able to continue.

Mr Donovan and Ms Matthews, 33, deny joint charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.

The court has heard that Shannon, nine, was abducted on her way home from school in February. She is said to have been drugged and tethered during 24 days of captivity in Mr Donovan's flat, one mile from the child's home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

It is alleged by the prosecution that Mr Donovan and Ms Matthews embarked on their “dishonest and wicked" plot in the hope of earning a £50,000 reward when she was safely returned to her family.

The defence is due to start when the trial resumes.

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